The present invention relates generally to protective clothing for firefighters and, more particularly, to a suspender support arrangement for firefighters turnout pants wherein suspenders are initially coupled to an inner liner with an outer shell of the turnout pants then being coupled to the inner liner.
Firefighting is very physically demanding work which must be performed under stressful conditions even in the best of circumstances. It is essential for firefighters to wear clothing which protects them from the hazards of the fire environment, while still providing comfort and preventing unnecessary distraction from their work. Firefighter's apparel most often consists of a long-sleeve turnout coat, protective gloves, full length turnout pants, and boots. Firefighter's apparel customarily has a plurality of layers with each layer being formed of a material different from the materials of the other layers, and each layer serving a purpose different from the purpose of the other layers.
A firefighter's turnout pants and coat typically have an inner liner which provides the requisite thermal barrier for firefighting apparel and an outer shell which is fire and abrasion resistant. While the inner liner and outer shell of the garments are attached together as a unit for fire fighting, the inner liner is removable from the firefighting garment such that the garment can be cleaned and dried more effectively and quickly. However, removing the inner liner makes the garment unacceptable for firefighting protection. Accordingly, it is possible either intentionally for a cooler garment or inadvertently, to don firefighter's apparel which does not include the inner liner.
This problem has been addressed in regard to turnout coats by means of "liner-out" indicators. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,806 discloses a protective turnout coat for firefighters having an outer protective shell and an inner liner with a collar. The outer protective shell is secured to the inner liner proximate to the inner liner collar by fastening means such that the observance of the collar is indicative of the presence of the inner liner. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,725 discloses a firefighter's turnout coat having an outer shell and inner liner which is removably attachable to the inside of the shell. The outer shell includes a slit with a strip of reflective material attached to its outer surface near the slit. The inner liner includes a flap which fits through the slit and covers the reflective strip such that an observer may visually determine whether or not the inner liner is present inside the outer shell.
These examples are representative of firefighter's coats which include visual indications of whether an inner liner is properly attached. However, applicant is unaware of any "liner-out" indicators in the art for firefighter's trousers and suspender apparel even though they are subject to similar problems vis-a-vis use of the apparel without a liner. Such apparel also has additional problems over and above wearing the garment with the liner out.
Firefighter's trouser and suspender apparel customarily comprise a set of suspenders and a pair of trousers including an inner liner and an outer shell. The set of suspenders are typically secured to the outer shell by buttons with the inner liner being coupled to the outer shell typically via snaps. Because of the weight associated with multilayer firefighter trousers, suspender buttons often tear off the outer shell due to the stress placed on them by the upward pull of the suspenders. Therefore, it is desirable to have a suspender attachment arrangement which provides better support for firefighter's trousers without substantially increasing the cost of such apparel.
U.S. Pat. No. 261,599 discloses an overall support arrangement wherein three cords, one in front and one in back, are sewn or otherwise secured to the overalls having first had hooks slid over the cords. In use, a set of suspenders including support rings are initially attached to inner trousers with the overalls being supported by engaging the hooks on the cords into the suspender rings. U.S. Pat. No. 278,313 similarly discloses an overall support arrangement wherein straps are used to support overalls from the underlying trousers by engaging a button on the overalls and a suspender button on the trousers. While the aforementioned prior art discloses overall support arrangements, they do not disclose a support arrangement which may be used advantageously with multilayer firefighter's apparel. Nor do they disclose a support arrangement which may be used to indicate whether an inner liner is properly secured within the outer shell of the turnout pants.
Accordingly., there is a need for an improved suspender support arrangement for firefighter's trousers which provides more even support for the inner liner and the outer shell of turnout pants, and which provides a "liner-out" indication if the inner liner is not properly in place. There is also a need for such a support arrangement for firefighter's trousers which does not substantially increase the costs of apparel currently in use by firefighters.